The past couple of weeks have been rough for Sebastian.  He began showing signs over Memorial Day weekend of the fungal disease returning.  After a trip to the vet, it was decided to put him back on the anti-fungal meds.  We have also discovered that fireworks make him very anxious and nervous.  We are doing our best to make him feel safe and secure.  He is such a trooper and deals with whatever comes his way with a wag of the tail and a twinkle in his eyes.

He is enjoying short walks and longer rides in his Bashmobile stroller.  He loves his comfy beds and blankets all around the house.  He enjoys sitting outside, when the weather is cool and there are no fireworks.  He tries to help his best friend Bailey keep the bunnies out of the yard, by doing his ‘fast walk’ chase.  He loves his meals and treats and loves meeting up with other dogs and kids on our walks.

Sebastian continues to be a very special, loving and happy boy, and we hope to see him completely recovered and healthy very soon. 

If you think Sebastian would be a good fit in your home, please submit an "Inquiry for Application" form. If you have already filled out an "Inquiry for Application" form, please send an email to applicationragom [dot] org with the dog's name, RAGOM number, the name you submitted the Inquiry for Application form under and a sentence or two why you feel you'd be a good match.

Bash here, with an update about me.

It’s hard to believe next month will be my one-year anniversary of living in America. So many things have happened to me since my days of living in the forest in Turkey. FM says she wishes I could tell her what my life was like back then, but I prefer to think about my new life and how happy and healthy I am now. Speaking of the healthy part, I overheard FM making another appointment with the vet for my blood tests. Blood tests aren’t bad at all, because I am super brave, but - and this is a BIG but - I do NOT get to eat my breakfast the morning of the test, and I REALLY like my breakfast ON TIME every day! Anyway, please keep your paws crossed for me. If these tests results come back good, I may be able to stop taking my anti-fungal meds soon. FM is also trying a new joint supplement on me to see if it helps my arthritis. I love to go for walks and hopefully I can make it a longer distance if my legs feel better.

Don’t forget these things about me: I am a sweet, older guy with a low-energy level, I met two cats and was a little too interested in them, and I like living with another dog. I will need to say on monthly medication for arthritis.

Here is a picture of me and my friend, Bailey.

Happy Spring! Love, Bash

Bash passed his liver function test again, so that is very good news. We are counting the weeks until he can discontinue taking his anti-fungal meds. He will need a few more tests in the next few months.

Bash continues to show signs of improvement. It’s wonderful to see him enjoying life. He is so much more playful now – he loves to play catch, shake his toys and throw them up in the air. We take him on walks and he tries so hard to keep up with his fur-butt sister, Bailey. FM and FD take turns walking Bailey a long distance and Bash a short distance.

I noticed we have a lot of ‘sleepy’ pictures, so I will try to include some ‘awake’ pictures with our next update.

Bash wants to send a huge thank you to Daisy 16-067TD and Nicole for the Birthday wishes icon, and to Sharron T. for the Happy New Year wishes icon.  You are the best! 

Bash continues to do well on his road to recovery.  We received good results from the liver blood test.  This test will be repeated every 5-6 weeks while he is on the anti-fungal meds.  He will also go back to the vet for the titer test and the aspergillus pecipitin test in March.  He takes his last Zeniquin antiobitic on Monday – YAY!  He will continue the anti-fungal meds and the pain meds. 

With each passing week, Bash seems to be feeling better.  He is more playful, he sleeps a bit less and really gets his happy dance going at meal time and walk time.  It is so heart-warming to see the progress he has made over the past 3 months, and to know he is conquering every hurdle towards a healthy life.  Thank you RAGOM for saving this sweet guy!

A few things to remember about Bash - he has complete freedom in our house with no issues.  He loves his toys, meal and treat time, taking short walks and long naps.  He loves the companionship of our resident Golden.

Hello RAGOMland - Bash here with an update all about ME!

I’m feeling so much better now that I am recovering from my surgery. I can breathe again; I can smell again; I no longer choke on my food; Foster Mom (FM) says I don’t snore quite as loud (I think Foster Dad is the one snoring), and I have no more green stuff coming out of my nose. I used to be super awesome at taking my pills with my meals, but now that I can smell again, I spit them out – they really don’t taste very good. FM hides them in tasty treats now, so it’s a win for me.

My incision is healing and the hair on my face is growing back just in time to keep me warm in the cold weather. FM says we still need to be very careful not to infect anyone (humans and furry friends) with my bacterial infection. I have been on the special antibiotic prescription for 30 days, but I have at least another 30 days to go.

The next step for me is to have 2 blood tests to determine the level of Aspergillus in my body and the presence of antibodies to fight the Aspergillus. Since I have such a unique issue, several veterinarians have been doing research on me, and they have determined the Aspergillus (fungal infection) is the primary issue and the Pseudomonas (bacterial infection) is the secondary issue. The vet is very confident the antibiotic will clear up the Pseudomonas, but believes the Aspergillus will be much more difficult to kill. They do not want me to be on anti-fungal meds the rest of my life, so these 2 blood tests will provide more information about how my body is fighting against this fungal infection. By the way, FM wrote that last part - I’m getting much better at English, but there is no way I can pronounce Aspergillus and Pseudomonas . . . . And they think Turkish is difficult to understand?!

I am so happy to be spending my first Thanksgiving in my new country, in my warm house, with a full tummy, and my foster family surrounding me with love. Thank you RAGOM for making it all possible. Much love to all, Bash

P.S. Here are a few pictures. That's me resting comfortably on piles of blankets, and me again with my resident sister Bailey and my friend Schroeder 16-212.

From an anonymous friend

From John and Amy Borg

"Enjoy your Golden Life." -Lucy

"I love your gentle soul." -Michelle Hauser

Bash had a great time at Goldzilla. He was so tired, he slept the entire way back to Cedar Rapids. Bash felt like a celebrity – so many wonderful people stopped to say hello and ask how he was doing.

The results of the rhinoscopy procedure he had last week show a tumor in his nasal cavity. Fortunately, it is not cancerous, but it is an aggressive-growing polyp-type growth that needs to be removed. Hopefully, this surgery will make Bash feel so much better and resolve his nose issues once and for all.

Please check his page periodically for updates about this sweet boy. He thanks everyone for their thoughts and prayers.

Bash is the most gentle and patient soul. He has some issues we are trying to get a handle on – his nose infection and reoccurring ear infections. And we continue to work on pain management of his arthritis. He never complains and always wags his tail, even when the look in his eyes says his is not feeling so good.

We bought a big green wagon (the Bashmobile) in hopes of taking him for longer walks, but so far he isn’t as excited about it as his FM. He gets in, but doesn’t want to lie down and be pulled. He loves going for walks, but he is unable to make it very far. Our resident wants to walk for miles, so we thought the Bashmobile would be the perfect solution for everyone. We will give it a few more attempts.

Although Bash has some health issues, he is the sweetest boy ever. He loves everyone he meets and would make a wonderful companion for someone who could give him the TLC he needs and deserves.

Sebastian recently came to stay with us for a short vacation while his foster mom went on vacation. I only have two words to describe him: Gentle Giant! He is the sweetest boy you could ever imagine. He was just as infatuated with my nine-month-old as she was with him. He is most definitely your typical golden with that velcro personality. He just wants to be where you are and be a part of the family. I've also never had a dog that just ate his pills in his food. That was amazingly easy!

The only "issue" was our cat...he was VERY interested in him the first few days and would get very excited and engage in chasing. He did not respond at ALL to verbal redirections, I had to physically just go block him from the cat. Then, he'd just walk away. By the end of the 4th day, he wasn't as interested in the cat.

I can't reiterate what an easy going boy he is and what a treat it was to watch him. If you want a gentle, slow-moving, extremely loving and loyal dog (not to mention handsome), then there's NO DOUBT, Sebastian is your guy!!

Just a few months ago, a wonderful Turkish volunteer made his daily visit to one of the forests in Turkey to feed the stray dogs that call this place home. That day, he saw a new addition to the group of dogs. This poor, malnourished, hobbling senior boy had recently been dumped in the forest and left to fend for himself. Knowing he would not survive in his condition, he was taken home and cared for by the rescuer, who dedicated himself to finding a loving home for him to live out his twilight years. Sebastian's journey of hope for a new life began with that rescuer and continues in America with RAGOM.

While we do not know how he came to arrive in the forest that day, we do know that his life before that was not easy. It was obvious he had not been cared for for quite a while. And yet, his love of people and life still shines brightly from his eyes. He greeted our volunteers who met him in Chicago after his long flight with kisses and tail wags and it seems that his happiness and contentment grows each day. He is just such a happy boy and appreciative of everything given to him. He is a laid-back, go-with-the flow kind of guy, never demanding attention but soaks it up when given to him. He loves all people he has met, young and old. He is very gentle with the kids in his foster home and has become great friends with an 11 year old boy who lives next door. He is fantastic with all dogs, although, due to his medical needs, he is not much of a player. A soft bed, regular meals and some loving attention is all Sebastian wants.

Knowing that he had some trouble walking, one of his vet visits focused solely on his mobility. It was found that Sebastian has severe arthritis in both of his knees and both elbows. It appears likely that at some point in his life in Turkey, he suffered two torn ACLs that were never fixed. This is most likely the cause of the severity of his arthritis. At this point, surgery is not an option and the focus will be on pain management. We are hopeful that his current medicines will provide much relief for him. He is also on joint supplements and fish oil to help. The goal is to get him walking for short periods of time and doing simply physical therapy, such as sit and stands, so that he can begin building muscle mass again in his legs. Ultimately, this would help tremendously in easing the pressure on his joints. We'll update when we see how he is progressing, but are very hopeful we will soon see improvement. Due to his arthritis, he is going to do best in a home without many steps.

While Sebastian will never be a running partner for someone, he will be such a sweet, loving addition to any family. He is looking for a home where all of the joy and happiness that were so missing for most of his life, can be packed into his twilight years. America has so far been very good to Sebastian, but the absolute best thing would be for him to find his own forever home where he knows he will be loved and cared for.